The present invention relates generally to improved fishing reel structures, and more specifically to spinning reels of the open-face type. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved line bail assembly for an open face spinning reel wherein the line bail arm element is prepared from resilient wire material, and with the arm being mounted on the reel rotor in stressably offset relationship along a plane parallel to the axis of the spool spindle and also along a plane perpendicular thereto, such that the bail is stable in two dispositions and such that rotation of the rotor will cause a smooth rocking transfer or automatic shifting of the line bail from the open line casting mode to the closed line retrieval mode due to torsional stresses established along the length of the bail.
Open face spinning reels are widely used in sport fishing today. These reels normally employ a frame with a winding rotor secured to the frame, and with a line engaging bail rockable between a stable open line casting mode and a stable closed line retrieval mode. The bail is normally coupled to the rotor through a bail hinge, and a spring or other resilient member is attached between the hinge and the rotor housing, and is utilized to retain the bail in either open or closed modes. Normally means are provided for automatically rocking the bail from open to closed disposition upon rotation of the rotor, however, the commonly used structures frequently render it difficult to provide smooth rocking motion between bail dispositions, and unless elaborate mechanisms are provided, the user may experience difficulty in achieving simple, smooth, and effective closing of the bail. This difficulty occurs to a greater or less extent, depending upon the immediate arcuate disposition of the rotor upon initial winding.
In use, for casting, the bail is retracted or in opened disposition so as to free the line pay-out from the line receiving spool in response to motion imparted to the lure at the end of the line. The whipping action of the rod is utilized to impart this motion to the lure. In the line retrieval mode, the bail is normally disposed in a position so as to capture the line whereby continued rotation of the winding rotor accomplishes winding of the line onto tthe core of the line receiving spool. In other words, the bail is utilized to thread the incoming line over the bail, frequently over a line guide member, the bail being operatively coupled to the rotor. Thus, the bail is adapted to position the line in an axial disposition so that rotation of the bail relative to the line receiving spool will wrap the line onto the spool without requiring spool rotation. Frequently, open-face spinning reels are provided with means for reciprocating the spool axially, with the spool reciprocating means normally being in the form of an eccentric coupled to the main gear of the winding mechanism.
Because of the random nature of the casting operation, the final arcuate disposition of the rotor is not determined until the line retrieval operation has been completed, and hence unless the mechanism for rocking the line retrieving bail from the open casting mode to the closed retrieval mode is smooth and positive, the fisherman may experience difficulty in his initial winding of the crank and its associated mechanism to close the bail and commence line retrieval after completing the pay-out of the line in the cast.